{"id":5889,"date":"2024-06-27T03:06:47","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T11:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/?p=5889"},"modified":"2024-06-19T10:22:49","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T18:22:49","slug":"be-like-jesus-pick-and-choose-your-scriptures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2024\/06\/be-like-jesus-pick-and-choose-your-scriptures\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Like Jesus\u2014Pick and Choose Your Scriptures!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
When conservatives say, \u201cYou can\u2019t pick and choose which parts of the Bible support your beliefs, and ignore the rest,\u201d How do you respond?<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Image by Thomas<\/a> from Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n**
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Recently, a friend gave me this conservative line about selectively reading and interpreting scriptures. I pointed out that almost nobody follows the whole Bible.<\/strong> There\u2019s a reason why Christians don\u2019t sell our daughters for a bride price<\/a>, or marry them off to someone who rapes them<\/a><\/span>. As it should be, you never hear about Jesus\u2019s followers stoning their children to death for disobedience<\/a><\/span>. Justice demands that slavery be illegal, even though Moses provided for its existence as an institution<\/a><\/span>. There\u2019s a reason we no longer have cities of refug<\/span>e<\/a> where people can escape punishment for manslaughter. Neither do we legally prevent farmers from harvesting the corners of their fields<\/a><\/span>, or from shaving the corners of their beards<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n
Why is this? It\u2019s because Jesus taught us how to pick and choose which laws apply to us. I told my friend, <\/strong>\u201cWhile we might say all of the Bible is equally inspired, not all of the Bible is equally useful for today\u2019s world.\u201d<\/p>\n
That set him off! He quickly retorted, \u201cFor today\u2019s world? Really? Are you telling us that God\u2019s word has an expiration date if it doesn\u2019t agree with people\u2019s personal desires?\u201d<\/strong> How would you respond to this?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bible as a Jumping-Off Point<\/h2>\n****
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****Jesus had a long history of contradicting and rewriting the Bible.<\/strong> Here are five Jesus quotes:<\/p>\n
\nMatthew 5:21-22a<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, \u2018You shall not murder,\u2019 and \u2018whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.\u2019 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council\u2026<\/li>\nMatthew 5:2-27<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 You have heard that it was said, \u2018You shall not commit adultery.\u2019 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.<\/li>\nMatthew 5:31-32<\/span><\/strong><\/a> \u2013 It was also said, \u2018Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.\u2019 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.<\/li>\nMatthew 5:33-35<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, \u2018You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.\u2019 But I say to you: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.<\/li>\nMatthew 5:38-39<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 \u201cYou have heard that it was said, \u2018An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.\u2019 But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n****
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****Jesus taught us how to use the Bible as a jumping-off point for moral teaching.<\/strong> He also demonstrated how you can go beyond its basic precepts to create an ethical system for yourself. Moses\u2019s law was radical for its day. It served to transform a nomadic group of tribes into a nation. But Jesus knew it needed revising. This is why he so often contradicted and broke the law.<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\nJesus Disregarded the Law as Needed<\/h2>\n********
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********As an example, let\u2019s look at Jesus\u2019s willingness to disregard scripture that prohibited work on the Sabbath.<\/strong> For him, it was a matter of interpreting whether the work was meaningful, useful, or helpful. He got himself in trouble because he refused to allow religious people to bind him with the written law. Here are seven examples:<\/p>\n****
\nMark 1:21-28<\/span><\/strong><\/a> \u2013 On the Sabbath, Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit.<\/li>\nMark 1:29-31<\/span><\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Jesus heals Simon Peter\u2019s mother on the Sabbath.<\/li>\nMark 3:1-6<\/span><\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Jesus restores an injured hand on the Sabbath.<\/li>\nLuke 13:10-17<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 On the Sabbath, Jesus heals a woman who could not stand straight.<\/li>\nLuke 14:1-6<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 Jesus heals a man with dropsy on the Sabbath.<\/li>\nJohn 9:1-16<\/span><\/strong><\/a> \u2013 On the Sabbath, Jesus gives sight to a man who was born blind.<\/li>\nJohn 5:1-18<\/strong><\/a><\/span> \u2013 On the Sabbath, Jesus heals a man by the pool of Bethesda.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Jesus didn\u2019t just break the law as needed\u2014he taught his disciples to follow his example.<\/strong> In Matthew 12:1-8<\/a><\/span>, the Pharisees criticize him for allowing his students to harvest and mill grain on the Sabbath.<\/p>\n
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Jesus\u2019s Defense for Breaking the Law<\/h2>\n**********
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**********Jesus knows his accusers won\u2019t let him off without a good defense. So, he employs five justifications for breaking the law.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nFirst, Jesus cites the precedent of David and his companions, who broke the law by eating consecrated bread in a moment of hunger (1 Samuel 21:6<\/a><\/span>).<\/li>\nNext, Jesus points out that priests working in the temple break the law, and yet are guiltless (Leviticus 24:8<\/a><\/span>; Numbers 28:9-10<\/a>)<\/span>.<\/li>\nThen, Jesus tells them, \u201cSomething greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, \u2018I desire mercy and not sacrifice,\u2019 you would not have condemned the guiltless.\u201d What is greater than the temple, and all the religious rules that accompany it? Mercy. For the sake of mercy, Jesus breaks the law repeatedly.<\/li>\nFinally, Jesus claims his own authority. \u201cFor the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.\u201d Basically, \u201cI\u2019m Jesus, so I\u2019ll do what I want.\u201d<\/li>\nAs a bonus, to drive the point home, he immediately goes out and breaks the Sabbath again (Matthew 12:9-14<\/a><\/span>).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n**********
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**********\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
Jesus Wants You to Pick and Choose, too!<\/h2>\n
As Jesus did all these things, his disciples watched and learned.<\/strong> They knew that Jesus wanted them to follow his example. In John 14:12<\/a><\/span>, Jesus says, \u201cVery truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.\u201d When Jesus ascended, he gave his followers the Holy Spirit, who would lead them in all truth. The Holy Spirit makes rule-following obsolete, as it was for Jesus. Instead, our law is love and mercy. We don\u2019t need to ask, \u201cShould I avoid this?\u201d or \u201cCan I do that?\u201d We are not children seeking permission, not knowing what will please the Parent. Jesus makes it simple: anything that flows from love and mercy will be acceptable to God. So, as Saint Augustine put it, \u201cLove God, and do what you will.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Didn\u2019t Jesus Say He Came to Fulfill the Law?<\/h2>\n
At this point, a conservative reader may ask, \u201cBut, didn\u2019t Jesus say he came to fulfill the law? And that the law must remain until everything is accomplished?\u2019<\/strong> Yes! That\u2019s some good Bible reading you\u2019ve done there! Here it is, from Matthew 5:17-20<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n
"
\u201cDo not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Jesus demonstrated what it would look like to evaluate and disregard certain laws for yourself. <\/strong>But his disciples did not do so without his supervision until after Jesus accomplished everything he set out to do. What does this mean? From the cross, Jesus declared, \u201cIt is accomplished (John 19:30<\/a>).\u201d People needed the law up until that point. But, with Jesus\u2019s last breath, he fulfilled the law. Christians don\u2019t need to keep it anymore.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Be sure to check out my next article, \u201cPicking and Choosing: Why Selective Bible Reading is Okay\u201d<\/u><\/strong> I\u2019ll discuss how the apostles took Jesus\u2019s example to heart, and you can, too.<\/p>\n
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For related reading, check out my other articles:<\/h3>\n\nIs All Scripture God-Breathed?<\/a><\/span><\/li>\nWhen Jesus Talked About Deconstruction<\/a><\/span><\/li>\nDeconstruction: A Slippery Slope, But A Wild Ride<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"*****************
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*****************When conservatives say, \u201cYou can\u2019t pick and choose which parts of the Bible support your beliefs, and ignore the rest,\u201d How do you respond? \u00a0 Recently, a friend gave me this conservative line about selectively reading and interpreting scriptures. I pointed out that almost nobody follows the whole Bible. There\u2019s a reason why Christians don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4628,"featured_media":5892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,26,8],"tags":[3600,18,4059,4050,4056,4053],"class_list":["post-5889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-challenging-the-church","category-deconstruction","category-theology","tag-biblical-inspiration","tag-deconstruction","tag-did-jesus-break-the-law","tag-inspiration-of-scriptures","tag-jesus-fulfilled-the-law","tag-picking-and-choosing-scriptures"],"yoast_head":"\nBe Like Jesus\u2014Pick and Choose Your Scriptures!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When conservatives say, \u201cYou can\u2019t pick and choose which parts of the Bible support your beliefs, and ignore the rest,\u201d How do you respond?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2024\/06\/be-like-jesus-pick-and-choose-your-scriptures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Be Like Jesus\u2014Pick and Choose Your Scriptures!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When conservatives say, \u201cYou can\u2019t pick and choose which parts of the Bible support your beliefs, and ignore the rest,\u201d How do you respond?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2024\/06\/be-like-jesus-pick-and-choose-your-scriptures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Breathing Space\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/revgregsmith\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-27T11:06:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-19T18:22:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1467\/2024\/06\/jesus-christ-898330_1280.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gregory T. 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